1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup method and apparatus and a storage medium storing a control program for controlling the image pickup apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, white balance processing is performed by the following method in a digital camera such as an image pickup apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 6, when the shutter (not shown) is depressed to the first stroke (SW1), white balance processing (WB processing) is started by using a predetermined white balance coefficient as an initial value. After a final white balance coefficient is determined upon convergence and completion of this processing, the shutter can be depressed to the second stroke (SW2). An image signal is stored in the memory at the timing at which SW2 is closed. The data stored in the memory is raw data output from a CCD (charge-coupled device) or the like. This data is subjected to signal processing in a so-called signal processing circuit to become recording data. The recording data is recorded on a recording medium. The white balance coefficient (WB coefficient) immediately before closing of SW2 is obtained as a parameter to be used for processing for the recording data and set in the signal processing circuit. This parameter is recorded on the recording medium after the raw data stored in the memory is subjected to signal processing.
In the above conventional apparatus, when image pickup is to be performed by using a strobe, strobe light is emitted instantaneously at the timing of SW2. Consequently, the above processing after SW1 in FIG. 5 (i.e., continuous white balance detection) cannot be performed. For this reason, a fixed white balance coefficient for predetermined strobe emission is set. In some case, therefore, external light influences image pickup stronger than strobe light depending on the object distance, and an object located at a long distance and irradiated with reddish tungsten light is processed into a red image.